Impacts of Gang Violence
Tarrant Cares says, “Once a child is lost to a gang, it is hard to get him or her back because the gang can literally become a surrogate family for that young person” (“Why Youth Join Gangs.”) Don’t let your child get lost in a gang. Young people get involved in gangs to try to find a sense of purpose. Gang violence impacts the level of crimes in communities and provides a bad environment for children and families.
It’s hard to get youth back once they’ve joined a gang because they’ve become loyal and don’t want to leave. If your child becomes emotionally or physically dependent on the gang it will be hard for them to leave. They could become dependent on the gang or the resources the gang provides them with.
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Nonprofit Risk Mangement Center says, “Children who don’t feel safe or protected at home will look for protection in other places” (Perspectives on Gangs and Gang Violence). If children are struggling at home and don’t find a sense of comfort and belonging with their family, they will try to find it in other places. Children need love, security and attention. If they don’t get these things, they’ll become restless and try to fill their needs. One of the ways they could try to fill their needs of belonging and love is joining a gang. Family issues is a bigger problem them people realize. It causes lots of mental issues that children think gangs can solve. If they feel abandoned or lost in their family or at school, they will look for love and comfort in other ways. One of these ways could be getting involved with a gang. If children see that gangs are close like a family, they could want that structure and join …show more content…
Not feeling a sense of belonging at home, youth will look for it in other ways. If youth have no source of income and they get hooked on drugs if they get into debt, they may get into a gang for protection or for a source of income. (“The Reality of Gangs”) If young people are struggling to fit in or figuring out who they are they could befriend gang members and start taking their advice. Parents and Guardians need to lookout for signs that their child could be in a gang. Some signs include decline in grades, change of friends, change in attitude, alcohol or drug use, having large sums of money, withdrawing from family or new tattoos, burns, scarring or brands. Of course, these are not always signs of joining a gang, but they could be key